Loaded Lentil Salad With Eggplant And Burrata

A loaded lentil salad made with eggplant, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and creamy burrata cheese. A truly delicious, satisfying and simple salad that's ready from start to finish and on the table in only 10 minutes. This is something the whole family will enjoy!

Because a lentil salad has to have burrata cheese....

What Is Burrata Cheese?

If you've never tried burrata then you're missing out on pure heaven, seriously it's SO good. Burrata is an outer layer of mozzarella filled with the most delicious stracciatella cream It's like a creamy, silky soft melting mozzarella bomb!

Have it with pasta, as part of an antipasto, on pizza, spread on toasted ciabatta... you can use it in so many ways the list is endless. Whatever way you choose, you've gotta try it with this loaded lentil salad!

So What's In This Loaded Lentil Salad?

• pre-cooked puy lentils, canned - so easy and convenient to buy pre-cooked in the supermarket
• Eggplant/Aubergine - adds so much flavour, seriously don't skip it!
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Olives
• Baby spinach
• Dried oregano and fennel seeds
• Burrata cheese - A.K.A the best thing ever!

How To Make Loaded lentil Salad With Eggplant And Burrata - Step By Step

First, cut the eggplant (aubergine) into medium-sized cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and fry the eggplant for around 3 minutes until starting to soften (photo 1).

Add the chopped onion and garlic with an extra splash of oil if the pan looks a bit dry and continue to fry everything until the onion is soft and translucent. Set aside to cool (photo 2-3).

Drain and rinse the pre-cooked lentils and add to a mixing bowl. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips and quarter the olives then add them to the bowl (photo 4).

Add the baby spinach, herbs and spices, lemon juice and the cooled eggplant, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Mix everything together until thoroughly combined (photo 5-6).

Transfer the salad to a large serving plate and top with the burrata cheese. I like to top the burrata with a few red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted ciabatta bread.

Way To Adapt This Lentil Salad

• Add chicken
• Swap the eggplant for zucchini cut into round and sauteed with the onion and garlic
• Add fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and mint
• Swap the burrata for goats cheese or feta cheese
• Add marinated artichokes
• Swap the spinach for arugula/rocket or another leafy green
• Drizzle with basil pesto

I am obsessed with this salad right now and with good reason, it's so incredibly delicious, full of Mediterranean flavours and takes no more than 10 minutes, I hope you'll love it too! If you've tried burrata before then be sure to let me know your favourite way to use it!

More Easy Salad Recipes;

• Fennel courgette salad with smoked scamorza and chilli
• A winter salad - spinach, apple, gorgonzola and candied walnuts
• Summer easy bean salad
• Watermelon basil salad with mint and goats cheese
• Zucchini ribbon salad

If you've tried this loaded lentil salad with eggplant and burrata or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I'm getting up to.

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5 from 5 votes

Loaded Lentil Salad With Eggplant And Burrata

A loaded lentil salad made with eggplant, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and creamy burrata cheese. A truly delicious, satisfying and simple salad that's ready from start to finish and on the table in only 10 minutes. 

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 425kcal

Author Emily Kemp

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups lentils pre-cooked or canned (800g)
• ▢ 1 eggplant (aubergine)
• ▢ 1 small red onion finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (80g)
• ▢ ½ cups olives (70g)
• ▢ 1 large handful fresh baby spinach (around 2 cups)
• ▢ 1 ball burrata cheese (7oz/200g)
• ▢ ½ tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• ▢ 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ ½ lemon juice
• ▢ salt and pepper

Instructions

• First, cut the eggplant (aubergine) into medium-sized cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and fry the eggplant for around 3 minutes until starting to soften.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic with an extra splash of oil if the pan looks a bit dry and continue to fry everything until the onion is soft and translucent. Set aside to cool.
• Drain and rinse the pre-cooked lentils and add to a mixing bowl. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips and quarter the olives then add them to the bowl.
• Add the baby spinach, herbs and spices, lemon juice and the cooled eggplant, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
• Transfer the salad to a large serving plate and top with the burrata cheese. I like to top the burrata with a few red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted ciabatta bread.

Notes

*Weight of lentils is undrained weight.

Variations to adapt this salad

• Add chicken
• Swap the eggplant for zucchini cut into round and sauteed with the onion and garlic
• Add fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and mint
• Swap the burrata for goats cheese or feta
• Add marinated artichokes
• Swap the spinach for arugula/rocket or another leafy green
• Drizzle with basil pesto

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 1392mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 14.5mg | Calcium: 348mg | Iron: 6.5mg

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
• When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
• All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
• All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
• Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
• Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
• You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.

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